After posting a 5-9 record in conference play this season, the Virginia women's basketball team begins its quest for an ACC crown this afternoon as the No. 8 seed in a field of 12. Should the Cavaliers (16-14) win, they will bring home their first conference title since the 1993 season.
The Cavaliers are scheduled to square off against No. 9 seed Wake Forest, which Virginia downed 73-46 earlier this season. The Cavaliers lead the Demon Deacons (14-16) in the all-time series record by a 61-3 margin and boast a perfect 6-0 record against Wake Forest in the tournament setting.
Junior guard Ariana Moorer leads the Virginia squad into the opening round of the conference tournament averaging 9.5 points per game and a team-high 3.1 assists. Moorer was recently named the ACC Sixth Player of the Year for her contributions coming off the bench for the Cavaliers. The Woodbridge, Va. native tallied eight points, five rebounds and two steals against the Demon Deacons a month ago.
Moorer and the rest of the Virginia backcourt not only will need to bring their offensive firepower to the rematch against Wake Forest, but also its defensive prowess. The Demon Deacons are the sixth-best team in the conference at shooting the three ball, averaging 5.8 three-point conversions per contest.
If Virginia manages to knock off the deep-threat Demon Deacons in the first round, it will move on to face top-seeded Duke Friday afternoon.
-compiled by Stacy Kruczkowski
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